Labyrinth
by RurouniGirl
Summary: This is my own little Weiß Kreuz version of the movie Labyrinth. It's definitely Yaoi. KenxAya (in the movie, SarahxGoblinKing) Hope you like it. R/R, k? Story is now complete!
1. The Wish

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: The Wish  
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Ken ran through the streets as fast as he could. His stepmother was going to be pissed if he got home late again. He sighed as the gray sky suddenly let loose a downpour of water, soaking him thoroughly. He arrived home a few minutes later, dripping water on the entrance hall's red carpet.  
  
"Where have you been?" his stepmother asked angrily. "You're late again. And you're dripping water all over my brand new carpet!"  
  
Ken sighed and shifted his weight, trying his best to block out the tirade. It finally ended with an angry, "Now go to your room and don't get into any trouble while your father and I are out, you hear me?"  
  
He nodded and trudged slowly up the stairs to his room. He quietly changed into dry clothing and hazarded a peak out of his room. He saw his father pulling on his coat and heard the sound of the door closing as his parents left the house. He sighed and went back into his room, flopping onto his bed and picking up a book. He felt all his problems dissolve away from him, as he once again got lost in his favorite book, Labyrinth.   
  
An hour went by and he set the book aside to go get some food. He returned to his room and sat on the bed. In the book, the Goblin King had fallen in love with the girl and granted her wish. He took her brother and she had to solve the Labyrinth in order to get him back.   
  
Ken sighed. If it had been him, he would have stayed with the Goblin King. At least then someone would actual love him, not like in his miserable life. His step mom hated him, his father ignored him, and he had no friends. Everyday was the same. He went to school, he went to the park, he came home, got yelled at for reason or another, and then hid away in his room. Everyday with the same routine and he had to admit, he was lonely. He had nobody but himself and his books.  
  
He sighed, shaking his head and picking up his book once again. He held it in his hands, staring at it for a moment before placing it back on the bookshelf. He lay down on his bed, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
"I wish I wasn't alone," he whispered. "I wish someone would take me away from my miserable excuse of a life." After her spoke these words, the sky suddenly went black, lightning flashed illuminated the dark room, and a white owl appeared at his window. He stared in shock as the window burst open and the owl flew into his room. There was another brilliant flash of light and he found himself transported from his room to a bare wasteland situated above a huge labyrinth. A beautiful young man with brilliant red hair, dressed all in black, and with piercing violet eyes stood before Ken.  
  
Ken couldn't believe it. "Are...are you the Goblin King?" he asked in awe.  
  
The young man smiled at him, an amused expression on his face. "Yes. I am Aya, the Goblin King. This," he said, waving his hand to indicate the maze, "is my labyrinth."  
  
Ken looked down at the labyrinth and then back at the King. "Why have you brought me here?" He did not ask the question angrily, rather curiously.  
  
Again the King smiled in a bemused manner. "I have brought you here because of your wish. But I wish to give you a choice," he said softly, an undertone of care audible in his voice. "Is your life as miserable as you think? Are you as lonely as you believe you are? If, by the time you have solved my labyrinth, you feel you have misjudged your life, I will return you to your present life. But if, when you reach the end, you still feel the same as you do now, I will grant your wish and rescue you from your life."  
  
He smiled affectionately and Ken was taken aback. He was unaccustomed to anyone showing him affection of any kind, especially someone as beautiful as Aya, the Goblin King. The King winked impishly and disappeared. "Good luck," his voice echoed.   
  
Ken stared at the spot where Aya had stood a moment before. An odd feeling rose in the pit of his stomach. Was it possible that the Goblin King had fallen in love with him, just as he had fallen in love with the girl in the book? He shook his head. No, that was impossible. Nobody loved him. Yet, he had shown some affection, and even caring, toward him. And the fact that he had given him a choice to back out of his wish was the complete opposite as what had happened in the book. He sighed. Nah, it was just wishful thinking. Nobody would ever love him. He shrugged the feeling off and headed down the hill toward the Labyrinth's outer wall.  
  
The path down was quite steep and Ken slid, rather than walked, down most of it. Once he hit the bottom he set off to find the door that would lead him into the labyrinth. He began to circle the wall and soon came to small clearing that somewhat resembled a garden of sorts. Small pixies flew about the clearing, laughing and singing in their squeaky little voices, and in the mists of these tiny creatures a man stood holding some kind of pump. As Ken watched, the man held the pump up and sprayed one of the pixies with the contents. The little pixie gasped and fell to the ground with a small thud.  
  
Ken cleared his throat as he stepped into the clearing. The man jumped and whirled around. "Oh, it's you," he said unenthusiastically. "What do you want?"  
  
"I was wondering if you knew the way into the labyrinth. I thought you might be able to help me, um...."  
  
"Yohji," the man said indignantly.   
  
Ken smiled. "I thought you might be able to help me, Yohji."  
  
Yohji turned away with a huff. "And why should I?"  
  
Ken turned away. "You don't have to help me if you don't want to, but could you at least tell me the way into the labyrinth?"  
  
"Well sure I'll tell you. You just have to ask the right questions, that's all."   
  
Ken sighed in frustration. "How do I get into the labyrinth," he said in frustration.  
  
Yohji smile. "That's more like it." He walked over to where an immense black door stood in the wall and pushed it open. "This is how you get in into the labyrinth," he said.  
  
Ken walked over to stand beside Yohji and peered into the long passage before him. The man took a cursory glance and patted Ken on the back.  
  
"Well, see you around. Good luck," he said as he turned and walked away.  
  
Ken watched him go and then turned back to the task at hand. He took another glance into the dark passage. It seemed to never end. He sighed, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself to go into the labyrinth.   
  
  
  
Author's Notes: so, what do you think of my Labyrinth based fic? Good? Lame? Please review and let me know. RurouniGirl 


	2. Into the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: Into the Labyrinth   
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
Ken took a deep breath and entered the labyrinth. He looked right and then left, but couldn't decide which direction to take. The labyrinth seemed to go on forever in each direction. He sighed and decided to follow his instincts. He turned right and started down the passage, looking left and right, searching for new openings or passages. It seemed like he just kept forever. There were no changes in the labyrinth at all. He came to a sudden halt and slumped against the wall.  
  
"Okay," he told himself. "Just take a couple of deep breaths and calm down. You can do this," he said. "Come on, you're just not looking the right way. Stop seeing things your way, and look at them differently."  
  
He stood and walked toward the wall in front of him. As he got closer it seemed to shimmer in a mysterious way, sparkling in an unseen light. He stood in front of the wall and slowly reached out a hand. To his surprise and amazement, it wasn't a wall, but an opening. He smiled to himself as he stepped through to the other side and turned to the right.  
  
"You're doing well, so far," a distance voice echoed.   
  
He turned, whirling about, trying to find the source of the voice. He wouldn't admit it, but he desperately wanted to see Aya's face again. He stopped and shook it off. No, it was just wishful thinking, he told himself. Aya did not love him. Nobody did.  
  
"You're wrong," the voice said, seeming closer than before.  
  
"Wrong about what?" Ken asked, desperately searching about him.  
  
"Wrong about nobody loving you," the voice said soothingly, almost sympathetically.  
  
"What do you mean," Ken asked, desperate for an answer. But no answer came. It was silent and he was once again alone in the labyrinth.  
  
He continued to travel down the road, looking this way and that, constantly on the look out for any new passages or openings, never really knowing where he was going. He simply followed his instincts, turning when they told him to, continuing straight when they told him not to stray from his present path. He kept going for what seemed like hours. He finally came to a dead end.  
  
"Damn," he said, turning to go back the way he had come. To his surprise, a wall blocked the path back. He turned back to were the dead end used to be and was surprised to see an odd sort of mirror. He approached it cautiously, wondering what it was for. He looked into it, and found himself face to face with his reflection. After a moment his reflection faded away and he found himself staring into a scene from his life.   
  
It had happened about two years earlier. He had gone to the park so he could read in peace and had lost track of the time. He had arrived home late much to the displeasure of his parents. His stepmother had gotten angry because it was his parents night to go out. He stood there in the entrance hall as she yelled and screamed at him. All the while he just stood there, keeping completely silent. His father joined in and when he got no response from his son, he had slapped him.   
  
Ken quickly backed away from the mirror, his hand on his cheek. He could feel the stinging pain from the slap and to his surprise, a single tear snaked its way down his cheek. He turned away from the mirror and came face to face with Aya. The Goblin King reached a hand out, gently wiping the tear from Ken's cheek, and then he disappeared.   
  
Ken turned back toward the mirror, but it had vanished. In it's place stood a door. He tried the handle, but the door wouldn't budge. He examined the door thoroughly, but found no clue as to how to open the door. There was no keyhole, no knocker, just the handle. As he sat there staring at the door, a face seemed to grow out of the wood. It looked him straight in the eye and grinned.  
  
"What are you staring at? Haven't you ever seen a door before?"  
  
Ken couldn't help laughing. "Of course I have. Just never one quite as unusual as you." He stepped closer. "How do I get through? The door won't open."  
  
The door looked taken aback. "Won't open?" he said in astonishment. "Of course it will open, all you have to do is knock."  
  
Ken looked at the door disbelievingly. "That's all? I just have to knock?"  
  
The door nodded. "Yes, that's all. What did you think you had to do? I'm a door."  
  
Ken shrugged and knocked lightly on the door. To his surprise it swung open revealing yet another passageway. This one seemed different from the others however. It seemed to shimmer and sparkle, but he didn't know why. He stepped inside and the door slammed shut behind him.   
  
As he walked, he found himself surrounded by dozens of mirrors, each one portraying a different event in his life. most of them were of times when his father or stepmother had been yelling at him for doing something wrong, or being picked on at school, or hiding away in his room crying because he didn't know what he had done to deserve all the punishments and yelling. He soon became overwhelmed with all of the memories. The whirled around, covering his ears with his hands and closing his eyes.   
  
"No," he groaned softly. "No...make it stop. Please, make it stop," he said, almost sobbing. "I can't take this anymore. Just make it stop!"   
  
He suddenly became aware that the images had disappeared and he was falling downward. He reached out, trying to grab onto something, but the walls were smooth and slick as ice. He whirled around, falling steadily downward, looking for anything to slow his descent. He came to a lurching halt as something caught him below the armpits. He felt himself being lowered downward, and his feet soon hit solid ground.  
  
He looked about him, but it was so dark he couldn't see his hand in front of his face. "Hello..." he called, his voice echoing eerily back to him. "Is anyone here?"  
  
"So, here you are," said a familiar voice. There was the sound of a match striking stone, and a lantern was lit. Standing in the glow of the lantern held in his hand, was Yohji.  
  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Chapter 2 is complete. What's the verdict? To continue or not to continue, that is the question. ^_~ RurouniGirl 


	3. Memories and Hopes

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: Memories and Hopes   
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Ken looked up in surprise. "Yohji? What are you doing in here? And what exactly is here?"  
  
"You're in the oubliette," he said matter-of-factly.  
  
Ken looked around in confusion. "The oubliette?" he asked.  
  
"A place you put things to forget about them," came the exasperated response.  
  
"Well, how do you get out?" Ken asked.  
  
Yohji walked over and kicked a dirty rag off of what looked like a wooden plank. He picked the plank up placing it over a hollow crevice in the rock wall. There was a small click and he opened the door to reveal a vast snow-covered land. A blizzard blew furiously and he struggled to close the door against it. "Wrong one," he said, slightly embarrassed. The click came again and this time the door opened to reveal a dark passageway. "Ah, here we are," he said.  
  
Ken looked into the dark tunnel and then back at Yohji. "Thanks," he said. He continued to follow the man down the tunnel. As they walked, the light of the lantern revealed huge stone faces carved in the walls. As they went deeper and deeper they began to shout warnings of danger and death.  
  
"Pay no attention to them," Yohji said. "They're just old windbags."  
  
Ken took Yohji's advice and simply ignored them. He was surprised by a sudden bright light up ahead. He shielded his eyes, squinting to try and see. As his eyes readjusted to the light, he saw the familiar flash of red hair. The Goblin King stood leaning against the wall, a fond smile on his face as he watched Ken walking toward him.  
  
"You're doing very well," he said. "I didn't expect you to get as far as the oubliette in such a short amount of time." He smiled and ruffled Ken's hair affectionately, much to Ken's surprise. The King smiled. "Keep up the good work," he said as he disappeared.   
  
Ken continued to follow Yohji, not paying attention to where he was going, or what he passed. He was brought back to reality as Yohji came to a sudden halt and he ran right into the man's back.   
  
"Oh, sorry," he said. "I wasn't paying attention."  
  
Yohji shook his head. "No, I couldn't tell," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm.  
  
Ken shook his head, laughing silently to himself. "Why did you stop?" he asked.  
  
Yohji looked around searching for something. "Ah," he said pulling a long cord from the ceiling above his head. "Here it is." He gave the cord a quick tug and an opening appeared above their heads. "Move back," Yohji said, as a stone staircase rose before them. They climbed the staircase and Ken had to squint against the bright sunlight. He looked around him. They had come up into a large sort of room, with one opening in the western wall.  
  
Yohji stopped at the opening. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked.  
  
Ken shrugged and followed Yohji back into the labyrinth. As he stepped through the opening he found himself in yet another hall filled with mirrors. This time they were different. Some of the mirrors showed him memories, others were false, things he had hoped for, but never gotten. His father taking him fishing or camping, his stepmother hugging him on his birthday, hanging out with friends. All of these were things that he had always hoped for, but never gotten. Others were his real memories. His father slapping him, his stepmother yelling at him, bullies picking on him at school. He shook his head. What had he done wrong? What was wrong with him that nobody loved him? Was he just one of those people that nobody wanted to love?  
  
He shut his eyes, trying to block all of his memories and hopes out. When he opened his eyes again all of the mirrors had vanished and had been replaces by one single mirror. As he stared into the mirror, he saw Aya. The Goblin King smiled warmly and winked. A moment later he saw himself standing next to the King, Aya's arm around his shoulder. Ken backed away, feeling incredibly confused. What was the mirror trying to tell him? He shook his head. It must have been one of his hopes, just an illusion. Of course it wasn't real. He mentally yelled at himself for even thinking such a thing.  
  
He looked around and found that he was alone. "Great," he said. "I've lost Yohji." He sighed. "Oh well. I might as well keep going." He continued on his way searching for Yohji as he went. He stopped as he came to another dead end. "Damn," he muttered. He turned and went back the way he had come, but he came to another dead end. He shook his head. "What the hell is going on?" he asked aloud.   
  
"What do you mean?" asked a voice behind him.  
  
He whirled around and found himself face to face with an incredibly pale man. He had amber eyes and his hair was almost white it was so blonde. The two black doors he stood in front of made his already white skin seem even whiter.   
  
"Who are you?" Ken asked.  
  
"I'm Farfarello, Guardian of these Doors. Which door do you wish to take?" he asked.  
  
Ken looked from one door to the other, contemplating which would be the best path to take.  
  
"How am I supposed to know which is the right door, and which is not?" he asked.  
  
Farfarello shrugged. "I can't tell you. I'm just here to open the doors."  
  
Ken sighed and thought hard, trying to decide which door might be the right one. He finally gave up and just guessed.   
  
"I guess I'll take the left," he said, shrugging.  
  
"Very well," said Farfarello, opening the door.  
  
Ken smiled and thanked the man then took a deep breath and stepped through the door he had chosen, hoping that it hadn't been the wrong door.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: Well, here's the end of Chapter 3. Hope you liked it. Review. RurouniGirl 


	4. Through the Door and Over the Swamp

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: Through the Door and Over the Swamp   
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
  
  
Ken took a deep breath and stepped through the door. To his surprise, he found himself in a medieval chamber. A long table that stretched down the middle of the room was filled with food. Elegantly carved chairs lined the table and the walls. A large candle chandelier hung above the table and a fire crackled cheerfully in the enormous fireplace. People dressed in renaissance style clothing roamed around the room, chatting pleasantly or dancing to the soft music being played.  
  
He looked around him and noticed that all of the people held a mask that covered their faces. He moved through the room, pushing his way through the crowd, trying to reach the end of the room. A flash of red appeared to his left and he turned, but nobody was there. He whirled around wondering where the Goblin King had gone. He continued to push his way through the crowd, searching as he went. He was so intend upon finding Aya that he failed to notice the piece of red hair that was visible even behind a mask.  
  
Aya smiled as he watched Ken moving through the room, head turning left and right as he searched. He walked easily through the crowd always keeping a few steps behind Ken.   
  
Ken stopped at the edge of the dance floor looking about him before entering the mass of dancing couples. It seemed like he would never make it through when he finally came to the end. He was about to leave the chamber when Aya seemed to appear out of nowhere and swept him onto the dance floor. Ken felt like he was floating on air as they spun around the room and that strange feeling once again rose up in the pit of his stomach. He tried to push it aside, but no matter how hard he tried it remained.   
  
He jumped as somewhere a clock chimed loudly. He looked around him at all the people. They began to shimmer and fade. He looked back at the Goblin King, but Aya was gone. He ran toward the end of the room and flung open the door. He took another look behind him. All of the people wavered and faded away. The table and fireplace began to shimmer and waver. He turned and stepped through the door. The smell of decaying leaves and putrid water wafted to his nose and he realized he was standing in the middle of a festering swamp.   
  
He groaned. "Great," he said. "Just great. How do I ever manage to get myself into these things?" he asked himself.  
  
"I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" said Yohji's familiar voice.  
  
Ken grinned. "Yohji! I thought I'd lost you."  
  
Yohji shook his head. "Nah, I'm not that easy to lose."  
  
  
  
Ken laughed softly as they slowly began to pick his way across the swamp, being careful where they stepped. He stopped as the patches of dry ground came to an end. "Ah man. Now how are we supposed to get across?"  
  
"Excuse me," someone called. "Do you need some help?"   
  
Ken looked about him and saw a young boy standing at the end of the swamp. "Yes," he called.  
  
The young boy began to sing. His voice was high and melodious. As he sang the swamp before him began to bubble. Ken watched in astonishment as a trail of rocks rose up in front of him, creating a path to the end of the swamp. He began to step careful as each rock rose up in front of him. He gave a sigh of relief as he finally reached the end of the swamp.   
  
"Thank you," he said, taking a closer look at the boy. He was younger than Ken had thought.  
  
The boy smiled and held out a hand. "I'm Omi," he said.  
  
Ken smiled. "I'm Ken. And this is Yohji," he said, as the man stepped onto dry ground beside him.   
  
"Pleased to meet both of you," Omi said. "Where are you headed?"  
  
"To the castle at the center of the labyrinth," Ken said. "Can you tell me if we're going in the right direction?"  
  
Omi shook his head, shrugging. "I'm sorry. I do not know the way. But I can help you find it, if you don't mind adding an extra person to your group."  
  
Ken looked at Yohji who nodded. He turned back to Omi. "We would be very grateful if you helped us find the way."  
  
The three of them set off to try and find the castle. They traveled through a dry, scalding desert for what seemed like hours. They finally reached the edge of a glittering forest. Their faces were smudged with dirt, and their clothes were dirty and gritty, but even in such a state, Ken still made the waiting Goblin King smile affectionately.   
  
"Congratulations. You're doing very well. You've almost made it to the walls of the Goblin City." He beamed at Ken, pride sparkling in his eyes. "Through this forest is the way to the city." He looked at Ken intently. "Tell me, does your life seem any better now that you've come this far?"  
  
Ken gulped and shook his head. "No," he said in a small voice, pain visible in his eyes.  
  
Aya smiled sadly and his eyes seemed to speak. 'I'm sorry,' they said. There was a poof and the Goblin King vanished once again.  
  
The three companions looked at one another and then at the forest that stretched in front of them.   
  
"Well," Omi said. "The city is just through the woods."  
  
Ken smiled and turned to Yohji. "We're almost there," he said.  
  
Yohji grinned. "Don't look at me. You got here on your own. I was pretty much worthless," he said, chuckling.  
  
Ken laughed and looked at each of them in turn. "Well," he said. "Off we go."  
  
And with that the three of them stepped into the forest.  
  
  
  
Author's Notes: well, the end of yet another chapter. Hope you like it. RurouniGirl 


	5. The Way to the Goblin City

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: The Way to the Goblin City   
  
By: RurouniGirl  
The forest glittered and sparkled in the sunlight as the three companions made their way deep into the sea of green. It was a beautiful site, trees rising tall above them, sunlight shining in wisp through the branches, the gurgling of a small brook could be heard nearby. Ken smiled and closed his eyes as a ray of sunlight washed over his face. He looked over at Omi and smiled brightly.  
  
"It's beautiful in here, isn't it?" he asked.  
  
Omi smiled and nodded in agreement. Yohji shook his head, laughing silently, and started to whistle cheerfully as they walked. They slowly made their way toward the center of the forest. As they walked deeper and deeper, the forest grew denser, the trees seeming to close in all around them. Sunlight became scarce as the trees become more numerous and closer together.  
  
The trees grew closer and closer together, as if trying to suffocate the three companions and it was nearly pitch black. As the feeling of suffocation surrounded them, Ken looked up and sighed in relief. In front of them was a bridge, and on the other side was the beautiful sparkling green forest, filled with sunlight.  
  
The three companions ran forward but were cut off as they reached the bridge. A tall, orange-haired man stood before them. He was dressed all in white, which made his orange hair appear as bright as fire. He stood before them, his arms outspread, feet planted firmly, blocking their way.  
  
Ken took another step forward. "May we pass?" he asked.  
  
The man shook his head. "I am Schuldich, the guardian of this bridge. No one may pass unless they answer my riddle first," he said.  
  
Ken was slightly taken aback. "I'm Ken," he said. "Tell me, what is this riddle that I must answer?"  
  
Schuldich smiled slyly. "What creature," he asked, "goes on four feet in the morning, on two at noonday, on three in the evening?" [1]  
  
Ken stepped backward and sat down on the mossy ground as he tried to think of a solution to the riddle. 'A creature that goes on four feet, two feet, and then three feet?' he asked himself.   
  
As he sat there contemplating the riddle, the solution popped into his mind. "That's it!" he cried, jumping up and walking to the bridge, a grin on his face.  
  
"You asked what creature goes on four feet in the morning, on two at noonday, and on three in the evening," he said. "The answer is MAN," he told Schuldich, grinning.  
  
Schuldich looked at Ken curiously. "And how did you come to this conclusion," he asked.  
  
Ken grinned again. "In childhood man creeps on hands and feet, in manhood he walks erect, in old age he helps himself with a staff," he replied.  
  
Schuldich studied Ken for a moment before stepping aside. "You may cross the bridge. You have answered my riddle correctly."  
  
Ken turned to the others and saw them grinning at him. "How on earth did you ever figure that out," Omi asked.   
  
Ken shrugged. "I don't know. It just sort of came to me as I was sitting there thinking."  
  
"Well," said Yohji, "however you came up with the answer, I don't care. The important thing is that you did and we can cross the bridge now."  
  
Ken nodded and the three crossed over the bridge. As they reached the other side he turned around to see Schuldich standing on the other end of the bridge alone.   
  
"Schuldich!" he called.  
  
The other man turned around to look at him. "Yes?"  
  
"Why don't you come with us?" Ken asked, smiling. "You look pretty lonely standing there all by yourself."  
  
Schuldich seemed to think about it for a few moments before leaving his position and joining the group on the other side of the bridge.  
  
"You don't mind my coming?" he asked.  
  
Ken shook his head. "Nope," he said. Omi and Yohji nodded their agreement as well.  
  
"Yes, please join us," Omi said, smiling.  
  
Yohji grinned. "Yes, please do. I could use somebody my age to talk to," he said laughing and winking at Schuldich.  
  
Schuldich laughed. "All right then," he said. "I would love to join you. You are going to the Goblin City, right?"  
  
Ken nodded. "Yep, that's where were headed."  
  
The four companions took off once again. As they walked, Ken saw something flicker out of the corner of his eye. He turned in the direction of the flicker and walked toward it, leaving the other's behind. As he drew closer he saw that it was another mirror. He stopped, backing away, not wanting to see another painful scene from his life.  
  
"Don't be afraid. Look into the mirror," a voice whispered.  
  
Ken looked around but saw no one. He slowly approached the mirror. As he gazed into it, he saw an unusual site. He was standing there, surrounded by his friend, Yohji, Omi, Schuldich, and Aya. The Goblin King was once again standing beside Ken, his arm around his shoulder, smiling down at him.   
  
Ken gulped. 'Is it possible that this is real?' he asked himself, looking longingly at the mirror. He had always dreamed of having friends and someone who loved him, yet for it to actually happen would be a dream come true.  
  
The vision in the mirror slowly faded away into darkness. 'No,' Ken thought. He wanted to see it again. He grasped onto the memory of the vision, hoping beyond all hope that maybe, just maybe, it might come true.  
  
He turned away from the mirror and made his way back to the path, running to catch up with the others. They came to a sudden halt as he caught up with them. He looked past them and gasped. They all stared in awe at the site before them. They had finally made it to the Goblin City.  
[1] This riddle is from the Greek play Oedipus Rex. For those of you who have never read this, a Sphinx asks this riddle of Oedipus.  
  
[2] This is the answer that Oedipus gives to the Sphinx. This is, of course, the correct answer.  
Author's Notes: Well, sorry this chapter took so long to post. I had a severe case of writer's block, but I think I'm now cured. YAY! Anyway, you know the drill. Good? Bad? Review. RurouniGirl 


	6. Solving the Labyrinth

Disclaimer: I do not own the boys from Weiß Kreuz, nor do I own the idea of Labyrinth. Both belong to their perspective creators and I do not claim credit for any of them...I'm simply using them for entertainment purposes and am not making any money off of them.  
  
Labyrinth: Solving the Labyrinth   
  
By: RurouniGirl  
  
Ken gasped and stared in awe at the vast Goblin City. "It's beautiful," he breathed.  
  
Omi nodded his agreement. "Yes, it is. I had no idea it was so enormous," he replied.   
  
"Geez...this place must go on for miles and miles," said Yohji. "You can't even see where it ends. It goes as far as the eye can see."   
  
Ken looked around at everyone and grinned. "Shall we see the sights?" he asked, winking impishly at them.   
  
They all laughed and followed him as he walked under the huge archway and entered the Goblin City. As they walked they passed street stalls selling fruit and vegetables, and some were selling live chickens. Others displayed large bolts of brightly colored fabric, jewelry, or other wares.  
  
Everywhere they went a chorus of friendly "hellos" and "good days" greeted them. Everyone was so friendly. Ken couldn't stop smiling. He wasn't used to people being so nice to him and the fact that everyone was giving him such a warm welcome made him feel almost giddy.  
  
As they made their way toward the castle, one of the stalls caught his eye and he went over to look at the display of goods. His eyes fell on a familiar object. He reached out to touch it, not sure if it was real or if it was just his imagination. His hand closed around it and he picked it up, examining it more closely. It was a long, dangling, crystal earring identical to the one that Aya wore. He turned it over in his hands wondering what it was doing at this stall.  
  
"I left it for you..." a voice whispered in his ear. He whirled around, but nobody was there. "Take it..." the voice whispered again. "I want you to have it..."   
  
"Why?" Ken whispered to himself, looking around for the source of the voice.   
  
"I want you to have it...as proof," said the voice, fading away.  
  
"Proof of what?" asked Ken, desperate for an answer. But there was no answer. He turned back toward the stall owner. "How much for this earring?" he asked.  
  
The stall owner looked from the earring to Ken. "Ah, since I don't have the other one and you look like you've traveled such a long way, take it."  
  
"Are you sure," Ken asked in surprise.  
  
He nodded. "Yep. Go on. Take it."  
  
"Thank you," Ken said, taking out his plain silver earring and replacing it with the Goblin King's. The party began to walk again and Ken's mind began to wander. 'Proof of what?' he asked himself. He couldn't understand. 'Why had the King left his earring for him to find?'  
  
"Ken! KEN!" Yohji said, breaking into Ken's thoughts  
  
"Huh?!" Ken asked, breaking out of his reverie. "What?"  
  
"I said we're almost there."  
  
Ken looked up and was surprised to find himself standing before the humongous castle. His gaze traveled upward and upward and upward. "Man, that is one big castle," he said. "How high do you think it goes?" he asked.  
  
Schuldich shrugged. "A couple hundred miles," he said in an awed voice.  
  
"Shall we go in?" asked Omi looking around at the group.  
  
They looked at each other and grinned. "Let's go," said Yohji.  
  
"Right behind you," said Omi.  
  
"Full speed ahead," said Schuldich, cocking an eyebrow and grinning.  
  
"I'll right...let's go!" said Ken, leading the way into the castle. Mazelike halls and passageways confronted them as they stepped into the entranceway.  
  
"Find your way to the center of my castle and you will have solved the Labyrinth," echoed a voice around them.  
  
Ken looked around him, trying to decide which passageway to take. "I guess we'll take the left," he said, leading the others down the passageway. They walked for what seemed like hours following the passage as it twisted and turned in a dizzying manner, until they finally walked through a doorway and found themselves in a huge open chamber. A maze of doorways and staircases riddled the room. Some were even upside-down.  
  
The group climbed staircase after staircase and entered doorway after doorway. It seemed like hours had gone by and yet they still climbed. They finally passed through an elegantly carved doorway and the maze of staircases faded away into one single chamber.   
  
Ken looked around him. The walls were covered with beautiful tapestries. The ceiling looked like the night sky, sparkling brightly with thousands of stars. And in the center of the room was an exquisite throne.   
  
"Where are we?" whispered Ken to himself.  
  
"You've made it to the center of my castle," said Aya.  
  
Ken turned around and saw the Goblin King sitting in his throne. He stepped a little closer but was stopped as another mirror appeared between himself and Aya.   
  
"Take one last look at your life and tell me what you want."  
  
Ken gulped and stepped up to the mirror. He looked down and saw scenes from his life flash before him. It was always the same. Yelling, screaming, punishment, bullying. All the pain he had been put through over the years began to surface once again. His eyes filled with pain and he backed away from the mirror.   
  
As he stood there fighting back tears and trying to force his pain back into the depths were he kept it hidden, Aya stood up and approached Ken. His eyes filled with sympathy as he wrapped his arms around Ken and held him tightly. Ken couldn't hold back the tears anymore and he began to sob into Aya's shoulder. Aya stood there and continued to hold Ken tightly. He kissed the top of his head lightly and whispered comfortingly to him.  
  
"It's all right," he whispered softly. "Just let it all out. I'm sorry I put you through that. I'm sorry I caused you pain. Just let it all out. Everything's ok now."  
  
Gradually Ken's sobs subsided. And he just stood there, clinging to Aya. "Why?" he whispered.  
  
"Why, what?" asked Aya.   
  
"Why are you so kind to me? Why do you care? Why did you leave your earring for me? Why are you sorry? Why do you even want to help me?"  
  
Aya smiled down at Ken. "Those are a lot of questions," he replied. "But they can all be summed up in one simple answer."  
  
"And what's the answer?" asked Ken pulling away and looking up at the Goblin King.  
  
"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" asked Aya, laughing softly. He stepped forward, grasped Ken by the shoulders, and looked into his eyes. "I love you," he said. "And I want to give you what you want. I want to help you. I wanted to make sure that you still wanted to be rescued from your life. I had to test you to make sure. I left you my earring as proof of my feelings for you; as kind of a keepsake to remember me by. If you decided that your life wasn't as bad as you thought it was, I would send you back because I love you. I would never force you to stay. If I did, it would mean that I really don't love you, and I do. I love you with all my heart. I would do anything for you." With that said he leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Ken's lips.  
  
Ken stood there in shock. "You love me?" he asked in disbelief. "Nobody's ever loved me before."  
  
Aya smiled and shook his head. "Yes, I love you," he said firmly. "And I always will. And so do the friends you made along the way." Aya turned and looked around at Yohji, Omi, and Schuldich smiling at each of them and then turned back to Ken. "So...what's your decision?" he asked, grinning mischievously.   
  
A smile slowly spread across Ken's face as he flung his arms around Aya and kissed him. "I'm staying here with you because...I love you, too."   
  
Aya looked fondly down at Ken before planting another kiss on his lips. As Ken kissed Aya back, he couldn't think of anytime when he had been happier. At that moment, he was happier than he had ever been in his entire life. He had friends, a new home, and somebody that truly loved him.  
  
~THE END~   
  
Author's Notes: Ok, I know it was kinda sappy, but hey, this chapter sort of wrote itself. Anywayz, what did you think? Review. RurouniGirl 


End file.
